Just Another Hero Summary: Arielle Gresham, disliked and mistrusted by most of the students at her school, has a secret past, an unbelievably complicated present, and a shaky future. But no one knows or cares because she has managed to alienate anyone who could help her. She tries to cope with problems at school, but difficulties at home almost break her spirit. As the school tries to deal with an outbreak of false fire alarms, a series of thefts, a student addicted to prescriptions drugs, and another who is a victim on vicious online bullying, Arielle finds that outward appearances are seldom what they seem to be. A hero is needed--maybe several heroes to solve the various problems that emerge. What makes a hero? Perhaps we find out as the novel builds to a powerful, explosive conclusion. Just Another Hero Hardcover   $16.99 Type: Hardcover Quantity:  Introduction: "Miz P, I forgot to take my meds this morning. Can I go do that and pee?" I'll be right back!" "Jack, you know you're supposed to take care of those things before class," she said, but she grudgingly handed him the hall pass. Lots of kids took meds at school for one condition or another, but everything had to be distributed by the school nurse. Anyone caught medicating themselves could get suspended from school. Jack, his long legs protruding from the purple gym shorts he'd worn that day even though the temperature was in the thirties, jumped up and left the room. Miss Pringle continued with the lesson, trying to explain the chemical equations necessary to work the lab problems. She really wasn't a bad teacher, Arielle thought-just a little strange. She shifted in her seat and tried to get comfortable. It would be a long fifty minutes. Just as Miss Pringle was telling them how to measure the liquids in the test tubes, the fire alarm rang out shrilly. Clang-clong! Clang-clong! Clang-clong! "Grab your personal effects, students, and line up quickly!" Miss Pringle ordered. She looked really annoyed with the interruption. "Should we take our books or leave them to burn up in the fire?" Roscoe asked. "Leave your books and papers; you know this is just a drill, Mr. Robinson," Miss Pringle replied as she gathered up her materials. "Now, no more talking. Let's go, class. Down the steps and out the side door. You know the procedures." Students started pulling on coats, grabbing purses, and heading to the door. The alarm kept ringing, piercing the air. General Questions: 1. What made you decide to create the Jericho trilogy? Lots of readers wrote to me and asked what happened to Jericho, to the remaining members of the Warriors of Distinction, and to the girls in their lives. I decided to continue the story in November Blues by focusing on November, Josh's girlfriend, as well as Jericho, who was also traumatized by the tragedy in the first book. Jericho chooses football as a means of dealing with his grief. November is forced to make choices as well, many she had not planned on. In Book three, Just another Hero, the story continues. 2. Which characters are the focus of Just another Hero, and what challenges do they face? November has returned to school, Eddie has been released from the detention center, Kofi is battling an addiction, and Arielle tries to find her place in spite of severe problems at home. Olivia and Jericho are still together, but Arielle might try to regain her place in his life. Dana remains strong and fiercely supportive of Kofi, whose parents are not always there for him. 3. Are any new characters introduced in Just Another Hero? Osrick Wardley, slight of build, shy, intelligent and observant, is easily bullied and his problems build with the tensions of the story. And Jack Crazinski, also known as Crazy Jack, seems to be going over the top with unusual behavior and outbursts. He plays his drums in the hall every day-searching for the noise as well as attention. Teachers, of course, also play an important role in the lives of the characters. From a thin woman who makes her students do a dance to learn the periodic chart of the elements, to one who uses all the modern technology from computers to zip drives, their struggles become entwined with the struggles of their students. 4. Are your characters based on real people? No, all of the characters are my own creations. I made them up. Sometimes fictional characters can seem so real that the reader might think they are real people, because good fiction is based on reality, but the characters in my books are just that--fictional. I start with a character who grows and develops as the book progresses, so that even to me he or she seems real by the end of the story. But they only exist in the pages of the book. I even get letters from students who think the characters are real. One girl asked for Arielle's home phone number--honest. 5. In Just Another Hero, why did you decide to focus on Arielle, probably the most hated character in the first two books? Everyone has a back story-a reason for why they act as they do, or respond to situations in a certain way. Arielle has survived the loss of her father, three stepfathers, and the loss of her little sister to an institution. Her home life, although it looks luxurious and rich from the outside, is unhappy, tightly controlled and full of fear. Arielle grows through the story, moving from being self-centered and shallow to understanding and grateful for friendships. 6. What would you like your young readers to get out of reading Just Another Hero? I want them to think about violence, and about what the actions of just one person can trigger. I also want them to remember that everybody has a "back story," a part of their life that might be hidden, but influences how they function in school. We all have problems. Sometimes those overlap into school situations. 7. What does Just Another Hero say about heroism? The book offers lots of questions that are open to discussion. What is a hero? Who can be a hero? Does a hero always look like those in literature, like Beowulf, for example? Or can the hero be small and seemingly insignificant? Can the bad guy be the hero? Can a girl be a hero? What makes a person rise to heroic levels? The end of the story leaves the answer open. "Arielle slowed to listen to the reporter. 'So what makes a hero, and who is the hero of the day?' the woman was asking the audience on the other side of the camera she faced. Arielle breathed deeply of the spring air that promised flowers as well as rain. She ducked under a ribbon of crime scene tape, sprinted toward the parking lot, then whispered the answer to the reporter's question into the soft breeze."